Free Please Do Feed the Cat by Marian Babson Page A

a thing like that.’
    But-Known appeared to decide that a perfectly good lap was going to waste and leaped up nimbly to settle across Lorinda’s knees. Had-I continued to circle Freddie, not giving up hope that something edible might yet be forthcoming.
    In the other room, the telephone began to ring.
    ‘Forget it!’ Freddie sent an impatient glance in that direction. ‘I’ve had enough for today. Whatever that is, I don’t want to know about it.’
    With a sound like a hiccup, the phone stopped in midring as the answering machine cut in.
    ‘Freddie —’ if you’re there, please pick up the phone. Please. It’s urgent!’ The voice, barely recognizable, was ragged with desperation.
    ‘I knew I didn’t want to know.’ Freddie continued to pour the coffee. ‘I suppose the publishers haven’t sent the books she ordered, or sent the wrong ones. I wish she’d. learn to complain to them and not bother us.’
    ‘Freddie, it’s Jennifer – at the bookshop. If you’re not there at the moment, then come round to the shop whenever you get in. Please. As soon as you can. The situation is urgent! Almost out of control – No! No, please! Don’t do that —’ The connection was severed abruptly.
    ‘That doesn’t sound like a mis-shipment to me.’ Lorinda stood quickly, sending a loudly protesting But-Known. tumbling to the floor.
    ‘Oh, all right. I suppose we’d better get over there.’ Freddie was curious herself. ‘But, I warn you, I’m not up to chasing shoplifters down the High Street.’
     
     
    At first, the shop looked deserted. The neat window display was undisturbed and no customers browsed inside. No Jennifer was in sight, either. They entered cautiously.
    ‘No bodies littering the floor, at any rate,’ Freddie declared, looking around.
    ‘Perhaps she’s in the back room.’ Lorinda started forward, still checking for anything that might be out of place.
    The large round ball of pale grey fluff curled up beside the till certainly wasn’t. As she paused to look behind the counter, it raised its head and blinked pale blue eyes at her.
    ‘Hello, Misty.’ She stroked the silky fur and a friendly rumble returned her greeting. A happy contented cat, nothing had upset her recently.
    ‘Over here.’ Freddie spoke softly from the doorway to the back room. ‘Someone’s in here.’
    ‘Is it —’ Lorinda found herself tiptoeing over to the doorway to the darkened room. A darker figure could be dimly discerned slumped in an armchair in the corner, surrounded by packing cases.
    ‘Jennifer …?’ Freddie called softly. ‘Is that you? Are you all right?’
    ‘Don’t turn the light on!’ Although they were hoping to hear it, Jennifer’s voice startled them. ‘I have a raging headache.’
    ‘We came as soon as we could.’ Freddie pushed the door farther open so that more light filtered into the storeroom. ‘Is that all that’s wrong?’
    ‘No, of course not. I mean …’ Jennifer sat up, the damp cloth across her forehead falling into her lap. ‘I mean, I’m sorry I disturbed you. It … it was a false alarm.’
    ‘Alarm about what?’ Lorinda wasn’t going to let her off that easily. There had been a tremor of genuine fear in her voice as she pleaded for Freddie to come over quickly.
    ‘It was silly, really, but I panicked. I saw Gemma and her cousin coming along the street with the dogs and, for an
awful moment, I was terrified that they were going to come into the shop.’
    ‘Why shouldn’t they?’ Freddie asked.
    ‘The dogs did seem a bit boisterous today,’ Lorinda said, ‘but I don’t think they’d have bothered Misty.’
    ‘Nothing bothers Misty,’ Jennifer said. ‘The problem was that Adèle Desparta was already in here.’
    ‘Who?’ Freddie looked at her blankly.
    ‘Adèle Desparta …’ Lorinda frowned, something about the name seemed to ring a dim and distant bell.
    ‘Dorian’s guest. Haven’t you met her yet?’
    ‘She’s only just arrived, hasn’t